


Uninhibited

by SharkGirl



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Cute, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hypnotism, JJIsa (mentioned), Light Angst, M/M, MilaSara (mentioned), Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Regret, Releasing Inhibitions, Sweet, Victuuri (side pairing), hypnotherapy, with a little bit of spice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-08 10:32:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10384704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: “A hypnotist?” Otabek quirked a brow, not the least bit impressed with his friend’s antics.“A hypnotherapist,” Serik was quick to correct him. “Don’t you see?” he asked and the other three just stared at him, waiting for an explanation. “This is exactly what Beka needs.” He slapped a hand against the sign. “Some relaxation.”





	1. Pining

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this idea popped into my head and it just HAD to be written.  
> This was inspired by an UsaMamo (yes, from Sailor Moon) fic that I read _ages_ ago. I tried to find it so others could enjoy it, but I wasn't able to. If you know the fic I'm thinking of, please feel free to share and I'll add the link here.
> 
> Beta'd by the fabulous Niri and Andrea~  
> Please enjoy!!

Yuri was leaning against the rink’s barrier, taking a break and waiting to video chat with his best friend, who’d sent him a text earlier that morning to set a time.  Otabek was always so proper when it came to things like that.  Yuri thought it was cute.

While he waited, Yuri thumbed through his feed, stopping every so often to like one of Phichit’s selfies or to roll his eyes at yet another of Georgi’s kissy-face pictures with his new girlfriend.  Well, not _new_ , since they’d been dating for almost two years now, but it was easier to refer to her as such, as opposed to his infamous ex, She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

He’d just scrolled past one of them looking all lovey-dovey in front of the Eiffel Tower, when he heard someone call his name.  He bit the inside of his cheek, bristling.  Maybe if he didn’t answer, the other person would just go away.

“Yurioooo,” Victor called again in a singsong voice, gliding across the ice and gracefully coming to a halt beside him. “Shouldn’t you be out on the ice?”

“And shouldn’t you be off of it?” he hissed through clenched teeth.  Both he and Georgi had retired the year before, but, unlike the other lovesick fool, this _particular_ lovesick fool hadn’t decided to travel the world with his beloved.  No, he’d stayed behind.

“I’m sure Yurio is just taking a quick break.” Ah, and there was his reason for staying. The Katsudon, himself. “Why don’t we work on my quads a bit more?” he suggested and Yuri bit back a relieved sigh when Victor pushed away from the railing to join his fiancé.

“You’re right, my darling.” Victor skated over to Yuuri, taking his hand and playfully twirling him on the ice. “Better that you take advantage of your training time, unlike _some people_.” That was directed at Yuri, he knew. “Slackers don’t get gold, now do they?”

“For your information, I’ve been training all morning, you geezer,” Yuri snapped, knowing he’d taken the bait, but not caring.  Eighteen years old and Victor still treated him like a child.  He could afford a few minutes of browsing Instagram.  It’s not like he hadn’t just landed all of his quads perfectly before the other two arrived – late, _as usual_ – and disturbed his concentration.

Of course, Victor and Yuuri hadn’t heard him.  They were already on the other side of the rink, being disgusting, par for the course.  He glanced over just in time to see Victor place his hands on Yuuri’s waist, one sliding up his side to position his arm.  It was gross.

“Keep making that face and it’ll stay that way,” Mila said, suddenly appearing beside him.  She, too, was late.  Apparently, when they knew Yakov would be away for the morning, the other skaters didn’t feel the need to show up on time.  Then again, that had been just fine for Yuri.  He liked having the rink to himself.

“Where’ve _you_ been?” he asked, setting his cell down and narrowing his eyes.

“Just on the phone.” She beamed.  Talking to her girlfriend, no doubt.  He opened his mouth to tease her about how needy the other must be to demand her constant attention, but Mila spoke again, a mischievous glint in her aqua eyes. “Oh, don’t look now,” she began, red lips curling up in a wicked grin. “Looks like you’re getting a call.”

For a moment, Yuri’s heart skipped a beat.  He knew it was silly – he’d been expecting it – but he always got excited when the other called him.  Without looking, he swiped to answer, waiting for a certain undercut-sporting Kazakh man to appear on his screen.  Unfortunately, when the call connected, a different, much more annoying man with a similar hairstyle popped up, waving jovially.

“Yuri!” JJ greeted, his signature stupidly perfect smile plastered on his face. “How are you?”

Mila barely contained a snort before she removed her guards and skated over toward Victor and Yuuri.  Et tu, Mila?  Yuri glanced back at his phone to find JJ looking at him expectantly.

“What do _you_ want?” He frowned, not bothering to hide his disdain.

“Come now, Yuri!” The other man placed a hand over his heart. “Is that any way to speak to your best friend?”

“You-” Yuri glared at the screen. “-are not my best friend.”

“Correction.” JJ held a hand up. “Your best friend for whom you are _not_ harboring a gigantic crush.” He paused and flashed another cheeky grin. “Though, I’d be flattered if you-”

“Go to Hell,” he glowered and pushed off the railing, taking his phone with him.  He might as well get in some practice while he waited.

“Hit a nerve, did I, Yuri-chan?” He winked and Yuri resisted the urge to throw his phone across the ice. “Speaking of Otabek, have you-”

“No.” Yuri cut him off before he had a chance.  He knew what JJ was going to ask.  It was no secret.  Well, it was no secret to everyone _except_ for Otabek, it seemed.  After almost three years of friendship, Yuri had started to develop feelings for his best friend.  His _actual_ best friend, thank you very much, JJ.

“Still haven’t confessed, huh?” JJ brought a finger to his chin. “You know he probably feels the same, right?”

“And that’s exactly why I can’t say anything,” Yuri replied, making a sharp turn and barely looking at his phone, hoping the other man could take a hint.  But JJ was nothing if not persistent.

“There’s, like, an eighty-five percent chance that he’s head over heels for you, Yuri,” the other man reasoned. “Just bite the bullet and tell him.”

“Maybe that method works for you, but I’d like to be one hundred percent sure before I go and ruin our relationship.” He could practically hear JJ’s disappointed frown, but he continued to face away.

“Telling the person you love that you love them doesn’t ruin relationships,” he argued, but Yuri just shook his head.

“It does when they don’t love you back.” He sighed and slid to a stop. “Beka was my first real friend…” He chewed on his bottom lip. “I don’t want to screw up what we have by asking for more.” He took off again, ignoring JJ’s disappointed sigh. “Now, why did you really call me?” he asked, coming to rest an arm on the barrier. “I know you didn’t wake up at-” he glanced at the time and quickly did the math, “-three in the morning just to ask me about my love life.”

“Ah, you’ve got me there.” JJ once again gave his signature grin. “I was doing a quick search of what diners were still open, since my better half is having a mighty craving for _poutine_ and, of course, _Timbits_.”

“Better half,” Yuri repeated with a snort. “I still can’t believe _you’re_ going to be a father.” He paused and laughed again. “Actually, I still can’t believe she married you.”

“Wild, isn’t it?” JJ smiled then.  Not his usual ‘I’m the King, no one defeats me’ smile, but a genuine one and, he looked so happy that Yuri couldn’t even tease him about it.  JJ wasn’t really such a bad guy.  Of course, then the buffoon had to go and open his mouth again. “You should really tell him, Yuri.”

“Tell who what?” he feigned ignorance.

“It won’t ruin your friendship,” JJ went on. “You know, Isa and I started out as friends,” he continued when Yuri didn’t respond. “She once knocked my tooth out on the playground when I made fun of her braces. And look at us now.”

Yuri rolled his eyes, but hid a small smile.  The idea of a tiny Isabella punching an equally small JJ was quite humorous.  But their story was different.  She wasn’t JJ’s first real friend.  It just wasn’t the same.

“Anyway,” JJ said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I should get going before she adds something else to the list. There’s a diner about six blocks from here that’s still open.”

“Good luck,” Yuri offered, ready to end the call, but before he could, JJ spoke again.

“Just tell him,” he urged. “I don’t know which is worse, your stubbornness or Otabek’s willpower.”  But before Yuri could question just what he meant by that, Isabella appeared in the background, asking for the something. “Gotta go,” JJ said quickly before adding, “Tell him,” and ending the call.

Yuri glowered and pocketed his phone.  It was easy for JJ to say.  He had nothing to lose.  If Otabek didn’t feel the same or if the mere suggestion disgusted him, Yuri could never face him again.  No, it was better to keep it to himself.

Just then, his phone’s notification alert sounded.  He pulled it out and saw ‘Beka’ on the caller id.  Ignoring the way his heart fluttered, Yuri answered with an indignant huff. “You’re late.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is significantly shorter than the next one. I just wanted to show everyone a glimpse of Yuri's life post-canon. The next chapter has a lot of the meat of the story ^^
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Hypnotherapy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already had a bunch of this written so...hooray double update~  
> This chapter is much, much longer, too.
> 
> Oh and Otabek's friends might seem familiar, since they're the same ones from [The Language of Flowers](http://archiveofourown.org/series/666083) AU.

Otabek hated not being able to keep his word.  He’d sent Yuri a text before practice, knowing the other wouldn’t be awake yet, but also wanting to make sure he was available to video chat at the scheduled time. 

Yet, here he was, ten minutes late for their conversation that he himself had planned.  Morning practice had gone long and he’d only just finished getting changed.  He only hoped that Yuri wasn’t waiting on him.

He waved goodbye to his rink mates and pulled out his phone, finding Yuri in his contacts – he was number one in his favorites, of course – before selecting him and waiting for the call to connect.  It took a bit, but the dark screen illuminated, revealing an ever-gorgeous and quite putout-looking Yuri Plisetsky.

 _‘You’re late.’_ He frowned, obviously waiting for an explanation.

“I’m sorry, Yura,” Otabek apologized right away. “Practice only just finished.”

 _‘Because of you, I was forced to talk to JJ, of all people,’_ the blond lamented, looking quite cross.  Honestly, Otabek was surprised he’d answered the other at all.  He quirked a brow, but Yuri was quick to explain. _‘I thought it was you calling, so it was too late to ignore him.’_

“Ah,” he replied, relieved.  Of course, that made him feel guilty, so he went on. “How’s his wife?”

 _‘Still too good for him,’_ Yuri snorted and then beamed. _‘How are you? They’re not overworking you, are they?’_

Otabek’s heart gave a joyous throb at the other’s concern, but he cleared his throat. “Nothing like that. We were just doing run-throughs of our programs and it took a bit longer than we’d planned.”

 _‘Run-throughs? Already?’_ Yuri raised his brows. _‘I don’t even think Katsudon’s free skate choreography is done yet.’_ He shook his head and Otabek heard Victor squawk in the background.  There was another outburst in Russian far too fast for Otabek to mentally translate and then Yuri was rolling his eyes. _‘Looks like Yakov’s back.’_

“Oh.” Otabek tried to hide his disappointment.  He was late and now they’d only gotten to talk for a short while. “Should I let you go?”

 _‘Unfortunately,’_ Yuri sighed. _‘But, hey, maybe we can talk tonight?’_

“Sure.” He smiled and then immediately frowned. “Wait, Yura, I forgot. I promised my friends that I’d join them for dinner.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek. “I can cancel, if you’d-”

 _‘Don’t cancel your plans for me,’_ Yuri interrupted. _‘We can talk tomorrow.’_

“Tomorrow?” Otabek furrowed his brow.

 _‘Yeah, the geezer and Katsudon are taking the team out to dinner tonight and then we’re going to see some foreign film.’_ Yuri gave another long-suffering sigh, but Otabek could see through it.  Despite the way the blond complained, he knew that he enjoyed spending time with his rink mates, especially the two he looked up to the most.

Once again, angry Russian echoed off of the walls of the rink in the background.

 _‘Shit. Gotta go.’_ Yuri glanced to the side. _‘Talk to you tomorrow, Beka.’_

“Until tomorrow, Yura,” he replied and then ended the call. He slipped his phone into his pocket and shouldered his bag.  He had three hours before their dinner reservation, so he decided to head to his apartment.

Of course, when Otabek arrived, he opened the door and found three familiar faces looking his way, all of which had no business being in his home. “Hello, people who do not live here,” he greeted, setting his bag down before removing his coat and hanging it on its hook.  Then he looked straight at the tallest of them. “Serik, I gave you a key for emergencies.” He narrowed his eyes at the larger man.

“We were out of _Kracks_.” Serik held up the tube of chips before popping one into his mouth and giving a mighty crunch.  Otabek opened his mouth to reply, but the other man continued. “Actually, we figured, since the four of us haven’t hung out in such a long time, we could start the party early.”

“You’ve been so busy lately with competitions and everything,” a short girl joined in, cuddling closer to the man beside her. “Right, Evgeny?”

“Sorry, Otabek,” her boyfriend offered him an apologetic smile.

“Marina’s right,” Serik said for him, standing up to his full height and making his way over to Otabek. “You’ve been neglecting us, Beka,” he said as he placed a large hand on his shoulder.

Otabek heaved a sigh, gaze shifting from the man beside him and toward the couple on the couch. It wasn’t like he had any plans for the afternoon anyway. He took a deep breath. “Let me take a quick shower and change.”

He did his best to ignore the wide, triumphant smile his good friend and long-time schoolmate flashed him.

 

Otabek cared for his friends.  He truly did.  But sometimes he felt like he had no control over the situation when they were involved.  And he liked to be in control, at least when it came to his habits and routine.  They often teased him about that very fact, stating that he had the willpower of a God.  To which he would argue that, according to mythology, it seemed as though the Gods had little to no willpower to speak of, and his friends would simply roll their eyes and shake their heads.

“Isn’t it nice to get out once in a while?” Serik asked him, interrupting his thoughts.  The four were currently walking around a gigantic mall.  They still had time before their reservation and the others had insisted on going shopping.  Well, it had been Marina’s idea and once she’d batted her eyelashes and stuck out her lower lip, it was settled.

“They’ve added some new stores,” Otabek mused in reply, glancing around.  In the center of the main area was a huge ice skating rink and several children were gliding around, pin-wheeling their arms to keep from toppling over. He smiled at that.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” Serik steered him away from the ice. “You get plenty of that at practice. This is bonding time.”

“Yeah, Beka,” Marina added, wrapping her arms around one of his and pulling him toward a toy store. “Come and help me pick out which is cuter.” She released him when they made it to a giant display of stuffed animals. Marina picked up a rabbit and a turtle, squinting one eye shut as she assessed their cuteness.

“I’m sorry, Otabek,” Evgeny said – his usual catchphrase any time the four of them got together.  Serik, Otabek had known since primary school, while he’d met Marina in college.  Evgeny had been dating Marina since high school, so he’d ended up in their little circle.

“It’s not a problem,” he replied and then looked over at the wall of plush.  He found himself drawn to a rather angry-looking tiger stuffed animal sitting on the shelf.  Its arms were sewn to look like they were crossed over its chest and its light blue-green eyes were narrowed.

“Remind you of someone?” Serik asked, suddenly right beside him.  When Otabek didn’t answer, he went on. “How are things going with your little Yura, anyway?”

Serik was the only one who knew how Otabek felt about his best friend. Though, he had a feeling that Marina sensed something because, all of a sudden, she’d stopped trying to hook Otabek up with her colleagues from work.

“He’s not mine and he’s doing quite well,” he said.

“You still haven’t told him, have you?” Serik tutted and folded his arms. “This is why you’ll be single forever.”

“Single forever?” Marina handed the stuffed animals off to Evgeny and moved closer. “Who?”

“Beka,” Serik replied. “It’s because he’s too afraid to make a move.”

“I’m not afraid,” Otabek corrected with a frown. “I simply do not wish to jeopardize what we have.”

“Oh, with Yura?” Marina asked Serik, speaking as if Otabek wasn’t standing right in front of them.  He didn’t like the familiarity with which his friends spoke of the Russian skater.  He’d earned the right to that nickname through years or friendship.  Yuri wouldn’t be pleased if he found out that they were referring to him as such.

“It’s a damn shame.” Serik shook his head. “But, Beka’s always been like that. Timid. Hesitant. Inhibited.” He shrugged. “Some Hero of Kazakhstan, right?”

Now, Otabek was not one to lose his temper, but he did feel the vein on his forehead give a rather powerful throb.  He took a deep breath and let it out. “I,” he caught their attention and then continued, “I have to disagree.” After all, he’d performed daring routines in front of millions of people on live television.  How could he be considered timid?

Serik bit back a laugh and Marina’s eyes widened.  Evgeny just sighed and took the two stuffed animals over to the checkout counter.

“Oh, Beka, I didn’t mean to insult you,” Serik said. “You can’t help it,” he added, like that made it any better. “I just wish you’d cut loose every now and again. Take a break from your strict diet and practice regimen and just…be a twenty-one year old.”

Otabek wanted to say that professional athletes didn’t have that luxury, but Evgeny returned with two large bags and Marina practically tackled him, pressing a kiss to his lips before allowing him to escort her out of the store. 

They let the subject drop as they wandered aimlessly around the mall until their dinner reservation.  It wasn’t until after they’d ordered dessert – Otabek had declined, as he had to maintain a certain weight – that it came up again.

“You won’t even allow yourself a single _baursak_.” The taller man rolled his eyes. “You’ll never win Yuri over that way.”

Otabek bit back a growl.  At least he was using the blond’s real name now.  He cleared his throat. “I’m not trying to win anyone over.”

“That’s the problem!” Serik bemoaned, pulling at his dark hair. “In the fifteen years I’ve known you, this is the first time I’ve ever seen you so interested in another person.” He drew his brows down. “And you’re just going to let this chance pass you by because you’re afraid he doesn’t _like you_ like you.”

Otabek drew his brows down.  It wasn’t a question of whether or not Yuri liked him.  In fact, he was fairly certain he was the only person that the Russian skater openly admitted to liking.  It was something else.  A deeper connection and emotion that Otabek dared not to hope for.  Like, if he sought for more than what he’d be given, it would all be taken away.

And then there was the rare chance that Yuri would actually _accept_ and _return_ his feelings.  What then?  The younger man had only just turned eighteen.  He was popular, strong, and effortlessly gorgeous.  Would he really want to be tied down to Otabek?  Stuck in a long-distance relationship where the only interaction they’d get was congratulating each other between programs and hanging out in the company of other skaters?

No. He couldn’t do that to Yuri.  He deserved every happiness and Otabek wouldn’t be able to deliver.

“See, look at him!” Serik’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Sitting there thinking about how ‘inappropriate’ it would be for him and Yuri to start dating.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Beka, you need to stop overthinking every little thing and just… _do_ something.”

Otabek frowned at that, but didn’t respond, as the server had returned with the others’ desserts.  They ate in relative silence, letting the subject drop once more, but Otabek knew their discussion was far from over.  He just didn’t know when it would come up again.

Yuri’s name wasn’t mentioned until later, when they were making their way toward the exit.

“I’m surprised you’re still out with us,” Serik said, elbowing Otabek gently. “Usually, if we manage to get you out, you’re in a hurry to get home and video chat with your-” he paused at Otabek’s glare and corrected himself, “I mean, with Yuri.”

“Yeah,” Marina chimed in. “And you weren’t checking your phone all through dinner. What gives?”

“If you must know, Yura is out with his rink mates tonight,” he explained. “They’re going to see a movie, so-”

“Aww, poor Beka!” Serik gasped melodramatically. “This whole time we were too busy teasing you to realize you’d been abandoned!”

“I haven’t been-”

“Come. Let’s go do something to take your mind off of your loneliness.” He wrapped an arm around Otabek’s shoulders and dragged him forward, the other two trailing behind.  Otabek didn’t want to admit it, but the idea of staying out a bit longer, rather than returning home to an empty apartment with no one to talk to, didn’t seem too bad.

He actually started to fall into step with the taller man when the other suddenly came to a dead halt, nearly causing Otabek to fall over.

“This! This is it!” Serik beamed, looking up at the shop.  It had a large neon hand in the window with the words ‘Readings Daily’ just above it.

“Ooh, a fortune teller?” Marina clapped her hands together excitedly. “What fun!”

“Not just a fortune teller.” Serik pointed to the list of services the shop provided.

“A hypnotist?” Otabek quirked a brow, not the least bit impressed with his friend’s antics.

“A hypno _therapist_ ,” Serik was quick to correct him. “Don’t you see?” he asked and the other three just stared at him, waiting for an explanation. “This is exactly what Beka needs.” He slapped a hand against the sign. “Some relaxation. To help you unwind. Cut-loose-”

“Serik, I’m not paying someone to hypnotize me.” He crossed his arms over his chest, drawing his brows down.

“Then I, your loving and caring best friend, will gladly foot the bill.” Serik gestured toward himself and smirked.  Otabek took a half a step back, but Marina was behind him, pressing her small hands flat against his back and pushing him forward.

“Oh, just give it a try, Beka,” she urged. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Serik will get swindled out of his money,” he answered automatically.

“Then you will have lost nothing, am I right?” The taller man chuckled and elbowed Evgeny, who just shot Otabek his signature apologetic glance.

He looked between the three of them before finally taking a deep breath. “Fine.”

“Great!” Serik cheered and helped Marina steer him into the shop. “You won’t regret this!”

But Otabek had a feeling he would.

 

The shop looked like any other in the mall, save for the strings of purple twinkling lights hanging from little hooks all over the ceiling and the thick, black curtain near where the register would normally be.

“Welcome!” a woman appeared from behind the velvet curtain, wearing what looked like black pajamas and a pair of flip flop sandals from the nail place cross the concourse. “I am Moldir the Magnificent.” She crossed her arm over her chest in a sweeping bow. “If you’re looking for the frozen yogurt place, it moved over next to the food court.”

“No, no. We’re here to see you,” Serik said, stifling a laugh, while still appearing respectful. “Our good friend here could really use some relaxation hypnotherapy.” He put his hands on Otabek’s shoulders and shoved him forward.

The woman reached up, putting a manicured hand on either side of Otabek’s head and staring him in the eyes. “Yes, I can sense it.” She gave a quick glance over to Serik. “You got _tenge_?” she asked and the taller man pulled out his wallet as proof. “Very well!” She released Otabek’s head and pulled back the curtain. “Please come in.”

They were led to a small table with a crystal ball in the center of it. Otabek eyed it wearily, but was relieved when Moldir picked it up, wrapping it’s cord around her arm and tossing both into a nearby box.

“Won’t be needing that,” she offered and then took a seat, gesturing for the others to do the same.  Otabek was seated directly across from her and the others were against the wall next to the emergency exit. “So, she began. What seems to be your problem?”

“I don’t have a-”

“He’s too uptight,” Serik interrupted. “Even right now, he’s on break from competing and he still won’t actually _take_ a break. It’s a wonder we got him to come out at all.”

“I see…” She rubbed her chin. “So, you’re stressed.”

“Not particularly,” Otabek replied.  And he wasn’t.  Sure, the whole more-than-friends thing with Yuri weighed on his mind, but it wouldn’t have if the others hadn’t brought it up.

“He’s beyond stressed,” Serik went on. “Suffering from a bad case of unrequited love and-”

“Serik,” he warned.

“Say no more.” Moldir held her hand up, silencing them. “I think I get it.” She rested her elbows on the table and her chin on her interlaced fingers. “You want your friend to unwind…release his inhibitions, yes?”

“Exactly,” Serik and Marina said in unison.

“I believe I can help.” She grabbed a cord and cranked a dial, lowering the lights further. “How does twenty-four hours of uninhibited time sound?”

“Awful,” Otabek said at the same time the others exclaimed, “Great!”

“Okay.” She rolled up her sleeves and stared Otabek in the eyes again. “I want you to relax. Let your eyelids become heavy.” Her voice was soothing and, perhaps it had been the difficult training earlier in the day, but Otabek found himself growing tired. “Close your eyes and listen to my voice.”

He followed her orders, his last thought being that he was grateful that she appeared to be a fake.  He had nothing to worry about.  And a short nap might be nice.

 

Otabek opened his eyes a second later, almost feeling bad that he’d failed to follow Moldir’s directions.  He blinked a few times and then Serik’s face was in his, the other man’s eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“How do you feel?” he asked, almost giddily.

Otabek raised his brows and answered. “The same?”

Serik’s face instantly fell, but Moldir, who had stopped in the middle of counting the money he’d given her, spoke up. “It won’t go into effect until midnight,” she explained. “That’ll give him a nice round twenty-four hour period.”

Convenient, Otabek thought to himself.  Clearly this woman was a scam artist, but it seemed like his friends were happy, so, he went along with it.

“I’ll be sure to let you know how my day goes,” he said to Serik, who grinned.

They said their goodbyes and parted ways at the mall entrance, Marina heading home with Evgeny and Otabek and Serik sharing a cab.

“I really hope it works,” he said from beside him. “You could use a day off.” Otabek just nodded, thankful that the following day _was_ his day off.  His friends wore him out.

When he arrived at his apartment, he went through his usual bedtime routine: some light calisthenics, brushing and flossing, mouthwash, and reading a chapter of a good book.  He glanced over at his phone, charging on the nightstand, and sighed.  He’d missed talking to Yuri.

He could always send him a ‘goodnight’ text.  But, even as he had begun reaching for his phone, he pulled back.  No.  He was out with his friends.  They already agreed that they’d speak the following day.  He just needed to be patient.  He finished the chapter and set his book beside his cell, stretching his arms over his head and turning off the light.

As Otabek closed his eyes, he thought of how he’d tell Yuri about his night – leaving the part about his feelings out, of course.  He could already picture the way the blond would snort, throwing his head back as he laughed at Serik’s antics.  With thoughts of the blond’s smiling face, Otabek drifted off to sleep.

 

Otabek wasn’t sure what had woken him.  He sat up in bed, his room still pitch black.  He looked over at his nightstand, but his alarm hadn’t gone off, nor did he have any messages.  He frowned, but curious, he stood up.  He knew he should go back to sleep, but he was awake now and suddenly hungry.

He walked over to the refrigerator and opened it up.  Inside were some canned protein shakes, a plastic container of homemade _borscht_ his mother had sent him, and sandwich ingredients.  Without a second thought, Otabek grabbed the loaf of bread, the packages of meat and cheese, and a bag of lettuce.  Setting the items on the counter, he kicked the refrigerator door shut with his foot.

A few minutes later, he took a sandwich, piled high with his favorite toppings, over to the couch and sat down.  He grabbed the remote and turned on the television before taking a big bite.  It tasted pretty good.  He flipped through the channels until he found something other than paid programming.  He sat back and enjoyed a documentary on the epic migration of monarch butterflies across North America.

After a while, the show had grown rather boring.  Otabek turned off the television, setting his plate on the coffee table and wandering back into the kitchen.  He had a mighty craving for something chocolatey, but he rarely kept sweets in his apartment.

Well, in that case, he could just go out and get something.  There had to be a store open, though he wasn’t sure what time it was.  He was halfway dressed when he realized he should probably check.  He picked up his phone and saw that it was nearly three in the morning.

There was also an unread text waiting for him.  He cocked his head to the side and opened it.  It was from Serik and a couple hours old.

_‘Hey there! Feeling any different?’_

Rather than texting back, Otabek just called his friend.  He was probably still awake.

 _‘Hello?’_ came Serik’s groggy voice over the line.

“Good morning, Serik,” Otabek replied, slipping on his shoes.

 _‘Morning?’_ the other man said and then gave a tired laugh. _‘Barely. What are you doing up?’_

“I was hungry and bored,” Otabek answered, throwing on his jacket and grabbing his keys. “Want to go out and get Starbucks with me?”

 _‘At three a.m.?’_ Serik asked and then sucked in a breath. _‘Wait a second.’_ Otabek could hear the rustling of sheets in the background. _‘Does that mean the hypnotism worked?’_

“Hypnotism?” Otabek furrowed his brow and then he remembered. Serik and the others had taken him out to dinner – though he’d paid – and then forced him to see a hypnotherapist.  Ah, no harm done though. “Are you coming?”

 _‘Believe me. I would_ love _to see you right now.’_ Serik laughed. _‘But I have an early class and I’d like to get some more sleep.’_

“Suit yourself,” he said and hung up before the other man had a chance to say anything else. Otabek pocketed his phone and walked out of his apartment, thinking only of the hot chocolate he was craving.

When he arrived at the coffee shop, he was sad to see that they didn’t open for another hour and a half.  Which was a real shame, because he really wanted that hot chocolate.  Now he needed to find something to do to kill the time.  It was then that he noticed the neon lights reflected in the window of the glass door.  He turned and saw the words ‘All Night Tattoos” illuminating across the street.

Well, it wouldn’t hurt to look.

Otabek walked inside and was greeted by a tall girl with two-toned hair and piercings.  She looked up from her magazine, eyes wide.

“I figured we were done for the night,” she said and then smiled. “How may I help you?”

“I’ve never…” he trailed off, looking around.  They had large framed images on the wall, showcasing examples of their artists’ work.

“First time, huh?” She laughed. “Well, you’re lucky because _someone_ lost a bet and our best ended up with the night shift.” She turned and called over her shoulder. “Yo, Arman. We got a first-timer.”

After browsing through book after book of designs, Otabek settled on a combination of a few things he'd seen.  He definitely wanted a tiger, but it had to have piercing green eyes – the eyes of a soldier, he’d insisted – and the words ‘Go for the Gold’ written in Kazakh.

While he waited for Arman to whip something up, he took out his phone, flipping through his news feed and stopping when he noticed an ad.  It was for a pair of headphones, the same exact ones he’d purchased for his side job a few months earlier.  But these were newer, sleeker, cooler.  They were also twice the price.  Still, he liked them and went ahead and bought two pair.

He’d just confirmed his purchase when Arman appeared, holding up his masterpiece.  It was perfect.

The tattooing itself hadn’t hurt.  Sure, it sort of burned and when Arman shaded over bone, it made his teeth rattle.  But now that he was all wrapped up, his shoulder had begun to feel pretty sore.  Still, when he’d seen his reflection in the mirror, he was quite pleased with how it’d turned out, so it had been worth it.

He paid the girl at the front and thanked them before making his way over to the Starbucks.  It was open now and he walked right in, the plastic over his tattoo making a crackling sound as he reached up to open the door.

Otabek left the coffee shop with a venti hot chocolate and a bag of pastries.  They all looked good and he couldn’t decide, so he’d bought them all.  It was no big deal.  He was hungry again, anyway.

Halfway through the treats he’d bought, he found himself following his usual path to his home rink.  He was aware that he didn’t have practice today, but he suddenly had a powerful urge to try out some new combinations while no one else was on the ice.  But, when he arrived, the doors were locked.  He pulled out his phone to call his coach and see if he’d come down with the key, but a better idea stuck him.

He unlocked the phone just as a post from Yuri popped up on his feed.  It was a picture of the blond with Victor and Yuuri at the premier of a movie, the poster hanging just behind them.  He smiled when he saw the younger man and decided, rather than skating by himself at home, why not skate with them?

A few minutes later, he received his confirmation e-mail with his boarding pass.  But his flight for Saint Petersburg didn’t leave for another two hours.  He sighed and then brightened when he saw a department store down the street opening its doors.  He could shop to waste the time!  And so, he did just that.

Because the packages were heavy, Otabek paid the fee to have them delivered to his apartment.  Never mind the fact that he wasn’t heading back there.  He also realized, after checking in and going through security at the airport, that he hadn’t packed his bags.

No matter.  He’d just buy clothes when he got there.

A little tremor of excitement made its way up his spine as he thought about seeing Yuri.  He couldn’t wait!  He took out his phone and sent the other man a text before he boarded the plane.  Oh, wouldn’t he be surprised!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, Beka, what are you doing~  
> Please look forward to Yuri's chapter coming up next. (and some actual OtaYuri interactions)


	3. Saint Petersburg I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get interesting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Yuri's chapter was getting unbelievably long, so...I had to split it into two parts.  
> Please enjoy the first "half!" I say "half" because the second half is already almost as long as the first and I'm not done yet. Help me...haha.
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely Niri~♥

Yuri stared at the text he’d received during the night.  After his alarm woke him up, he noticed that he had an unread message – not unusual, as Kazakhstan was three hours ahead and Otabek often sent him a text early in the morning.  But this particular message wasn’t his usual ‘Good morning, Yura. I have my break at x-time.’ 

No.  This message was strange.

_‘See you soon!’_

Yuri didn’t know what that meant.  Did Otabek mean he was going to video chat him?  There were no details and when Yuri sent a reply, it had gone unread and unanswered.  In fact, he still had not received a response an hour later when he walked into the rink, frowning down at his phone.

“What’s wrong, Yuratchka?” Mila asked him, cocking her head to the side. “Miss a call from Beka?”

He growled at her and she backed away, hands held up in mock defense and delicate brows raised.  At least she understood when to stand down.  His ex-idol on the other hand…

“Good morning, Yurio!” Victor chirped merrily, sipping from his giant cup of coffee before smacking his lips and releasing a pleasured sigh. “Oh.” He blinked when he finally looked at him properly. “Bad morning?”

“Back off, you geezer,” he spat, not wanting to deal with him first thing.  He’d already spent the previous night putting up with Victor and Yuuri practically making out beside him in the theater.  Okay, they were holding hands and giggling, but it was the same thing.

“What’s the matter with Yurio?” Yuuri asked when he joined his fiancé beside the rink. “Is it about Otabek?”

Yuri wanted to scream his lungs out and throw his skate, but he took a deep breath and just glared, tugging his hood over his head and gliding away toward the empty side of the rink.

“Definitely about Otabek,” Victor agreed and Yuri bit his tongue to keep from shouting at him.  Why did everyone have to give him such a hard time?  Otabek was his best friend and, yeah, sure, he was interested in becoming more, but that didn’t mean every person he knew had to comment on it. “Yurio-” Victor began, but he cut him off.

“If you _must_ know,” he said, skating back over to them. “Beka sent me a weird message this morning.”

“Weird?” Yuuri frowned, looking concerned.

“Not weird, just…different.” Yuri reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, bringing up the message and handing the device to the older man.

“See you soon,” Yuuri read aloud. “What’s that mean?”

“You tell me.” Yuri shrugged. “I texted him back, but he never replied. I’m…” he trailed off, not wanting to admit that he was a little worried.  Even if Otabek had practice – which he was pretty sure he didn’t today – he should have had a break to respond by now.

“I’m not sure.” Yuuri handed his phone back. But just as it was placed in Yuri’s hands, it vibrated, a shrill beeping sound echoing in the nearly empty rink.  Mila and Victor sidled up, flanking Yuuri, all three of them looking at the blond expectantly.

Yuri opened the message and couldn’t believe his eyes.

_‘Just landed. Taxiing to the gate. See you in a few minutes!’_

“Wow!” Victor exclaimed, grabbing the phone from Yuri’s hands. “Why didn’t you tell us Otabek was coming here?”

“Uh, maybe cuz I didn’t _know_?” Yuri offered, still getting over his shock.

“How romantic,” Mila sighed, clasping her hands together. “Flying out to surprise you like that.”

“But this is ridiculous,” Yuri interrupted the others’ excitement. “He should have told me, I mean…I’m happy he’s here, but…he never mentioned anything about coming to visit.”

“Ah, Yuuri,” Victor began, wrapping an arm around his fiancé’s waist. “Remember when I dropped everything and flew out to see you?”

“Yes,” the other man said with a snort. “But at least Otabek gave Yurio a heads up, as opposed to waiting completely naked in the onsen.”

“Good times, good times,” the older man sighed happily.

“Ugh, will you two shut it!” Yuri stamped his foot, chipping the ice. “This isn’t about you.”

“That’s right,” Mila said and before Yuri could thank her, she continued. “This is about Otabek and this extreme gesture of love for our little Yura.”

“I hate this freaking family,” the blond muttered under his breath.

“Anyway, Yurio, what are you going to do?” Yuuri asked with a concerned pout. “Otabek will be here soon. Are you going to skip out on practice? How long is he here?”

Yuri didn’t know what he was going to do.  Yakov would blow a gasket if he just decided to walk out on practice.  But, at the same time, he hadn’t seen Otabek since Worlds and he’d really missed him.  He was way ahead of Katsudon when it came to his free skate.  He could afford to miss one day.

“I just can’t get over how romantic it is,” Victor interrupted his thoughts. “But would it have killed him to come up with his own idea?”

“I don’t think he copied you, Vitya,” Yuuri soothed him.

They’d been so busy trying to figure out what to do that they barely noticed Yakov walk into the room, the older man looking grumpier than usual. “Alright, you lot,” he bellowed, arms crossed over his chest. “Get to work.”

Just as Yuri was about to skate to the side and set his phone down, the doors opened again, revealing a smiling, pink-cheeked, and slightly out of breath Otabek.  The blond’s heart did that little fluttering thing again and he cleared his throat, trying to ignore it.

“Yura!” the other man called, walking closer.  Yuri met him halfway, placing his hands on the railing.  His eyes widened in surprise when Otabek did the same, setting his warmer hands over Yuri’s. “Were you surprised?” he asked.

“Uh…well, yeah,” he replied. “I mean, I had no idea you were coming. How long did you have this planned?”

“Not long at all,” Otabek replied, his dark, coffee-colored eyes softening. “I just thought that I wanted to see you and…here I am.”

Victor squealed happily in the background and Yuri tuned him out.

“Beka, don’t get me wrong,” he began, teeth worrying at his bottom lip. “I’m really happy to see you, I just…it isn’t like you to-”

“Hey, I almost forgot.” Otabek reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses.  They were black with a leopard print pattern just above the dark lenses. “I saw these in one of the shops in the airport and thought you might like them.”  He handed them to Yuri, a gentle smile on his lips.

Yuri had to admit that they were totally his style.  In fact, he liked them more than the pair he had.  But, flying all the way to Saint Petersburg practically unannounced and presenting him with such a nice gift – expensive-looking, too – it was just too much. “Beka…”

“Try them on,” the other man urged and Yuri did.  They even fit better than his current pair.

“How do I look?” he asked, striking a pose, but he faltered when one of Otabek’s hands reached up to stroke his cheek.

“Gorgeous.”

Victor made some other high-pitched noise from behind them, but Yuri was too focused on the warm, calloused fingers on his cheek and the soft, almost loving gaze directed his way.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Yakov burst out. “Since you traveled all the way here, I won’t make you leave, but either lace up or get off my ice.”

“Actually.” Otabek turned toward the older man. “I was wondering if I could borrow Yuri for the day,” he asked, reaching into his other pocket. “Also, I picked you up some _Alyonka_ candies on my way.” He handed Yakov the bag. “Are they still your favorite?”

Yakov looked down and grunted before shifting his gaze over to Yuri. “Well, I think you’ve earned a day off.”

Seriously? The blond’s jaw dropped.

“Now get out of my sight before I change my mind,” he said, unwrapping a candy and popping it into his mouth before turning back toward the ice. “And the rest of you! Start warming up!”

Yuri still couldn’t believe Yakov had let him go.  But here he was, seated in a cab beside his best friend, the other humming to himself as he looked out the window.

“Um…Beka-”

“Ah, driver,” Otabek called, leaning forward and placing his hand on the back of the passenger seat. “Could you please drop us off there?” The man nodded and pulled over.  Otabek paid the fare and opened the door, stepping out and offering Yuri his hand.

“Uh, thanks.” Yuri took it and followed after him.  They’d stopped in front of a small bakery and café.  Yuri hadn’t been there before, but he heard their pastries were delicious.

“Have you eaten breakfast?” Otabek asked.  Yuri had, but it was just something quick before practice and, when they walked inside and the delicious aroma and freshly baked bread filled his nostrils, his stomach gave a loud growl. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’,” Otabek chuckled and took his hand, leading him the rest of the way into the shop.

Yuri let the other man order for them while he found a table.  Otabek joined him a moment later, holding a small metal stand with their order number on top of it.  He sat across from him and laced his fingers, looking at Yuri and smiling.

“What?” he asked, wondering if he had something on his face.

“Nothing. I just like looking at you,” the other man replied and Yuri felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

“Oh, yeah?” he asked, trying to focus on anything but the man in front of him.  He didn’t know what that meant.  Why was Otabek being so…?  So…?  Ugh, he didn’t even know what to call it.  So, instead, he tried to get answers to some of his other questions. “You said you wanted to see me?” he tried, peering up at the other man.

“Yes. Very much so,” Otabek replied, unabashed, his smile never fading.

“And you just… _bought_ a plane ticket?” he asked and the other nodded.

“It would have taken much longer to get here by train.” An honest answer.

“Beka, do you even have a place to stay?” He stared at him, wondering just how much of Victor’s ‘plan’ he’d copied.

“Of course,” he replied and Yuri released a breath. “I made a reservation on the cab ride over to your rink.”

Yuri blinked. “What about your luggage?”

“I forgot to pack anything,” Otabek said, but immediately continued. “I thought I could just buy some clothes while I’m here.”

Okay.  That was the last straw.  There was no way the person in front of him was his Otabek.  Nope.  Absolutely not.  His Beka was a strategist.  A planner.  He didn’t just fly off with nothing but the clothes on his back just because he _felt_ like it.

“Who are you?” Yuri asked, eyes narrowed.

“Otabek Altin?” He raised his brows, blinking slowly. “Are you feeling alright, Yura?”

“Are _you_?” He threw back, but didn’t get an answer right away. The server appeared with their drinks and set a plate of pirozhki between them. Unable to look at the other man, Yuri focused on the meat pies.

“I’m sure they’re nowhere near as good as your grandfather’s.” Out of the corner of his eye, Yuri caught Otabek rubbing the back of his neck. “But I know they’re your favorite…” he trailed off, looking up at Yuri sheepishly.

Suddenly Yuri felt awful about accusing the other man of being an impostor.  Sure, he was acting strangely, but, deep down, this was the thoughtful and caring Otabek that he knew and loved.

He reached forward and took a pirozhok, bringing it to his lips and taking a bite.  He was right, it wasn’t as good as Grandpa’s, but it was still delicious. “You made the right choice,” he said and Otabek brightened, flashing a rare, but dazzling smile his way.  Yuri nearly choked.

The rest of their meal went well.  Yuri talked about what he'd been up to and Otabek happily listened, his eyes never leaving Yuri’s.  It reminded him of back when they first met, after the other man had saved him from his raging fans and eventually took him out on a date.

Not a date, Yuri reminded himself.  But it sure felt like one, until Yuuri had called everyone together for an emergency meeting and ruined everything.  Some emergency.  And then he and Victor had the _nerve_ to show off their engagement rings.

They were so embarrassing.

“Yura, is something the matter?” Otabek asked, a worried crease in his brow.  Apparently, Yuri had trailed off after remembering the traumatizing experience.

“Oh, I’m fine,” he said quickly, grabbing another bun and tearing off a big bite.  He was totally cheating on his diet, but he’d make up for it later. “So,” he asked, swallowing his mouthful. “What do you want to do while you’re here?” he paused. “Actually, how long _are_ you here?”

“I’m not sure,” he said with a little shrug. “I didn’t buy a return flight ticket.”

“You didn’t…” Yuri trailed off, setting his pirozhok down. “Beka, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Never better.” And then his phone began to ring. “Oh, please excuse me, Yura.” After Yuri nodded, he answered in Kazakh. “Сәлем!”

Yuri waited while he spoke to the other person, but his ears perked up when he heard Otabek say his name.

“Yura?” He glanced over at him. “One moment.” He pulled the phone away and covered the receiver. “Yura, Serik would like to speak with you.”

Serik? Otabek’s old friend from Almaty? He’d only ever spoken to him a few times when the other dropped by during their video chats.

“Uh…sure.” Yuri took the phone and brought it to his ear. “Hello?”

 _‘Oh, thank goodness he’s with you,’_ Serik breathed in formal, out-of-practice Russian. _‘I thought he’d gone off and gotten himself killed.’_

“Killed?” Yuri raised his brows, gaze darting over to Otabek and then back down. “What are you talking about?”

 _‘We took Beka to a hypnotherapist last night,’_ Serik explained. _‘It was just something to help him relax.’_

“You had him hypnotized?!” Yuri screeched, ignoring the way the other guests in the café stared at him.

 _‘No, not hypnotized,’_ the other man corrected. _‘Well…sort of.’_

“Explain yourself.” Yuri tapped his fingers on the table.  Otabek, who must have wanted to give them some privacy, walked over to the pastry case and began speaking with one of the employees.

 _‘He’s just so uptight, you know?’_ Serik offered. _‘So, we thought it might be nice if he would unwind a little bit. Let loose?’_

Yuri gave a noncommittal hum in reply to show he was still on the line.

_‘And the lady said she could release his inhibitions.’_

“Are you telling me that Beka is under some sort of spell?” he asked, unable to believe it, but tone still serious.

 _‘No, not a spell,’_ Serik said. _‘Every decision he makes is his own, he just…’_ He paused, swallowing. _‘He just doesn’t have anything stopping him.’_

Well, that explained it.  Otabek wanted to see Yuri, so he hopped a plane and did just that.  He saw something Yuri would like and bought it.  He could only imagine what else the other had done.  Or would do.

“How do we fix this?” Yuri asked, glancing up to make sure Otabek was still near the counter.

 _‘I don’t think it’s something that needs to be fixed,’_ Serik answered and Yuri was quick to disagree. _‘Besides,’_ he went on. _‘It’s only for twenty-four hours, so, once the clock strikes twelve…’_ he trailed off, assuming Yuri understood. _'Midnight,'_ he added as if making sure.

“So, you expect me to babysit him and make sure he doesn’t do anything foolish?” Yuri narrowed his eyes, reminding himself to give Serik a flying roundhouse kick should he ever meet him in person.

 _‘Not at all,’_ Serik replied, sounding like he was smiling. _‘I expect you to enjoy yourself.’_ He laughed. _‘Well, I’m glad he’s okay. He scared the hell out of me, but I’ve got another class starting in a minute.’_

“Hold on-”

 _‘Have fun, you two!’_ and then the call ended.

Yuri stared at Otabek’s phone, still struggling to come to terms with what he’d just learned.  With a sigh, he turned back toward the pastry case, ready to bring Otabek to his hotel room and keep him there for the duration.  That way he wouldn’t get into any more trouble.  But when he scanned the area, he found himself down one Hero of Kazakhstan.

He shot up from his seat.  Otabek had been standing there just a minute ago, but now he was gone.  Yuri reached into his pocket and left the tip before running out of the café.  Otabek couldn’t have gone far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You _lost_ him?!  
>  (Don't worry)


	4. Saint Petersburg II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a wild ride. And I had so much fun writing it.  
> Remember that angst tag? (and the spice tag)
> 
> Also, this chapter is so long. I'm really glad I separated it into two parts because it ended up being over 7k together.

When Yuri finally found him, Otabek was a few stores away at a florist, happily chatting with the man as he paid him for a rather large bouquet of tiger lilies.

“Beka!” he called after him, running to catch up before he darted off again.

“Oh, Yura!” Otabek turned toward him. “Have you finished speaking with Serik?”

“Yes – wait.” Yuri shook his head. “Don’t just go running off like that.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you,” the other man apologized. “But I wanted to give you some privacy and then I saw this flower shop and – ah,” he interrupted himself, “These are for you.”  He handed the gigantic bouquet of bright orange blossoms to Yuri. “Do you like them?”

Yuri stared down at the flowers and then back up at Otabek’s expectant and unfairly handsome face. “Uh…”

“That reminds me. May I have my phone?” he asked. Yuri reached into his pocket with numb fingers and gave it back. “Thank you, Yura.” He smiled and opened his internet browser. “I asked the cashier if she had any suggestions for what we could do today-”

“Beka-”

“And she directed me to this website.” He held up his phone. “We’re out of season for the gardens, but maybe we could visit something indoors?” He scrolled for a bit. “How about the Dolphinarium?”

“Beka, I really think we should just-”

“Ah, but the reviews aren’t very good.” Otabek frowned and continued to search.

“I understand that you want to do as much as we can while you’re here,” Yuri began, trying to reel the other in while not speaking to him as if he were a child. “But maybe we should get you checked into your hotel and just, ya know, rent a movie or somethi-”

“What do you think about going to the Leningrad Zoo?” the other man asked, finally meeting Yuri’s gaze.

“Beka-”

“Have you been there before?”

“I haven’t, but-”

“It’s the oldest zoo in Russia and the second largest,” he went on, reading the description. “They have Amur tigers and a huge lion sculpture at the entrance to the-”

Part of Yuri knew that he should get Otabek to his hotel and keep him there.  But the rest of him really, _really_ wanted to go to that zoo.  So, he grabbed the other man’s arm and hailed a taxi.  It would be fine.  He’d just make sure Otabek didn’t spend any more money on him.  He had more than enough in his account to pay for their tickets and then, once they were done enjoying the sights, they could go to the hotel.

What’s the worst that could happen?

 

Yuri always thought that he’d be the one arrested for trying to sneak into a tiger enclosure.  It would go with his Russian Punk persona, that was for sure.  But, it would also get him in serious trouble, tossed from the national team, and disqualified from his upcoming competitions.

So, when Otabek suggested it, Yuri did everything in his power to keep the other man from granting him his ridiculous wish.

“I was just joking!” Yuri grunted, wrapping both his arms and legs around Otabek's middle.  He was taller now, but spindly, and Otabek was nothing if not solid muscle.  Thankfully, the other man listened.

“Perhaps we can arrange a meet and greet with them, then?” Otabek offered, checking the guide map. “I believe they sell a special package for animal encounters.”

“Please don’t buy me anything else!” Yuri pleaded, releasing the other man and standing on his own two feet once more.  He already felt bad about having to toss the flowers Otabek had given him, as the zoo did not allow outside flora or fauna through the gate.

“If you’re sure…” Otabek began, brows knitting together.

“I’m sure,” the blond replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

In all honesty, up until that point, he’d been having a great time.  They went to all the exhibits and took pictures with the animals and the huge lion statue – which Yuri promptly posted to Instagram.  In fact, he’d been enjoying himself so much that he almost forgot he was supposed to watching Otabek.

Well, not _watching_ him.  That made it sound like he was babysitting.  He was just…keeping him out of trouble.  Just until the spell or hypnotism or whatever it was wore off.  He quickly checked his watch.  It was nearly two in the afternoon.  They still had so much time until midnight.

“What would you like to do next?” Otabek asked him, derailing his train of thought.

They’d seen just about everything the zoo had to offer.  All that was left was the gift shop.  And, as much as Yuri really wanted to see what sweatshirts they had, he could go without.  It would be hard to stop Otabek from buying him everything in the store.

“How about lunch?” Otabek continued when Yuri didn’t respond.

“I’m actually still full from breakfast,” he admitted, patting his stomach.  He hadn’t eaten that much since the last time he went home to Moscow to visit his grandpa. “Why don’t we go check into your hotel-”

“I almost forgot,” the other man exclaimed. “I still need to buy clothes.”

That’s right. Otabek had come to Saint Petersburg with nothing but his wallet and phone.  Yuri couldn’t very well make him sleep in what he was wearing.  And he was sure a simple shopping trip wouldn’t get too out of hand.

“Okay,” he answered, finally, pulling it up on his cell. “There’s a mall not far from here.”

Thankfully, the shopping center nearby was small.  There were only a few stores and none of which caught Otabek’s attention.  They easily strode into the department store and straight to the men’s section.

“I’ll pick out a few things for you to try on,” Yuri said, wanting to get in and out as quickly as possible.  He asked Otabek his size and searched through what they had.  He grabbed a few pairs of dark wash jeans and some graphic tees.  Then he headed over to sleepwear.

“Yura, this seems like a lot,” Otabek mused as the blond placed a pair of leopard print pajama pants onto the growing pile in his arms.  Yuri scoffed at that.  Apparently, even uninhibited Otabek wasn’t as bad as Yuri when it came to clothes shopping.  Still, he grabbed a pack of underwear and socks and directed the other man toward the changing rooms.

“Try on the pants first and we’ll see how they fit,” he ordered and closed the drape, sitting on the small stool that was left out beside a pile of unused hangers.

Yuri tapped his toe impatiently as the other changed.  He wanted to hurry up and get out of there.  It was his fault they’d stayed at the store for so long and now he needed to rush them lest they run the risk of Otabek getting into trouble.

He browsed through his phone, jumping a little as it vibrated in his hand.  It was a message from Yuuri.

_‘How are things going?’_

Ugh. He was such a mom. Yuri was in the middle of typing a reply, when he received another.  This time from Victor.

_‘Otabek hasn’t tried anything, has he?’_

What the hell did that even mean?! Yuri growled and started to reply in all caps when yet another text message popped up. Mila, this time.

_‘How’s your date with Beka going?’_

Clearly practice had let out.  Yuri thought for a moment how best to respond to his tormentors.  A thousand different replies danced through his head before he finally typed.

 _‘MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!’_ and sent it to all three before stuffing his phone back into his pocket.  He heard it ring a few more times, but he ignored it.  After the tenth alert, he was about to grab his cell and throw it across the dressing room, but stopped when Otabek pulled the curtain to the side and stepped out.

“What do you think?” he asked, looking a little bashful.

What did he think?  Yuri’s mouth went dry as he took in the other man’s form.  He was wearing the indigo skinny jeans and a black shirt that Yuri’d picked out, which he only realized now was a size too small. 

“Lose the shirt,” he said, barely keeping his voice from cracking. “And, uh, turn around.”

Otabek did as he was told, his ears turning a dark shade of pink. “They’re a little tight,” he said, without looking over his shoulder.

Yes.  Yes they were.  But in just the right way.  The jeans hugged every curve, accentuating every muscle of the other man’s powerful legs.  Yuri’s gaze trailed up to his backside and he decided that this was the only thing Otabek should ever wear.  Tight pants and nothing else.

“Yura?” he asked, breaking his concentration.

“Yes?” He blinked, tearing his eyes away from the curve of Otabek’s behind.

“Don’t you think they’re a little long?” The other man raised his leg and gave it a little shake, the hem falling and getting caught under his heel.

“Well,” Yuri began with a snicker, “That’s because you’ve got short legs.”

“I do not have short legs.” Otabek turned to face him, a pout on his lips and his brows drawn down. “Your legs are just impossibly long.” Yuri opened his mouth to tease him again, but the other man continued. “And very beautiful.”

Yuri whipped his head to the side, his face on fire.  How could Otabek just _say_ those types of things?  And then he remembered the reason why.  Of course, he realized, that meant that Otabek _meant_ what he was saying, no matter how embarrassing.

So, Otabek thought his legs were beautiful, huh?  He hid a small smile and looked back at him, ready to send him back to try on the next pair of pants, when he noticed a piece of tape on his shoulder. “Beka?” He furrowed his brow. “What’s that?”

“Oh.” Otabek glanced down and then turned.  Yuri had been so distracted with the way the other man’s pants fit, that he hadn’t noticed the plastic wrap on his shoulder…or the tattoo beneath.

He’d gotten a freaking tattoo?!  Oh, Yuri was definitely going to make sure Serik paid for this, if he had to fly to Almaty and punch him himself.  Though, despite his anger, he had to admit that it suited him.  He stood up from the stool and walked closer to get a better look.

“It’s a tiger?” Yuri asked, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He was a little jealous.  The design was cool.  They could have gotten matching ones together or something.  “And what’s it say beneath it?” He cocked his head to the side.  He could read some Kazakh, but he was still learning. “Your name?”

“No, it says ‘Go for the gold’,” Otabek replied, looking over his shoulder sheepishly again. “I thought it was a good message.” He frowned slightly. “Do you dislike it?”

“No, no,” Yuri assured him. “It’s freaking cool.” And it was. He thought Otabek couldn’t get any cooler, but, apparently, that was not the case.  Ugh, he had it bad.  “Anyway.” He cleared his throat. “Go ahead and try on the next pair to see if they fit.”

Otabek nodded and walked back into the dressing room, pulling the curtain shut.

Yuri sat back down, still angry and a little turned on.  Otabek really looked good in those pants and that tattoo was sweet.  He ran a hand through his hair and jumped when he phone started to ring.

“If it’s Mila or Victor…” he growled, but blinked when he saw the caller id. He rolled his eyes, but answered. “What now?”

 _'Good morning, Yuri-chan!'_ JJ greeted. _'Or…good evening, your time.'_ He beamed.

“Taking a break from practice to hassle me?” Yuri asked, happy for the distraction, but still a little annoyed.

 _'Actually, I was calling about your post,'_ JJ explained. _'Nice lion statue, by the way, but, uh, any reason you didn’t tell me Otabek was coming to visit?'_

Yuri could have slapped himself.  He’d forgotten that he tagged Otabek in the picture, even though he wasn't technically in it.  He could play it off, saying that he just wanted the other to be the first to see it, but he was in no mood to lie.

“I didn’t know he was coming,” Yuri hissed, trying to keep his voice down so Otabek wouldn’t hear through the curtain.

 _'So, he surprised you?'_ The other man raised his brows. _'Please tell me you confessed.'_

“No, it’s…it’s complicated.” Yuri chewed on his thumb nail, glancing toward the drape to make sure Otabek wasn’t coming out yet.  Then he launched into the story of Serik’s ‘brilliant’ idea and how the Kazakh skater had ended up in Saint Petersburg.

 _'Let me get this straight,'_ JJ began, barely containing his glee. _'He has no impulse control and the first thing he does is come and see you?'_ He laughed. _'What more proof do you need? He’s obviously head over heels for you!'_

“He is not.” Yuri’s cheeks burned. “Besides, coming to Saint Petersburg wasn’t the first thing he did,” he said. “He went and got a tattoo first.”

 _'Otabek’s got ink?'_ JJ puckered his lips. _'How’s the art? Maybe next time I’m in Almaty, I’ll add to my collection-'_

“JJ, seriously?! Can we focus?”

 _'Okay, okay.'_ The other man laughed. _'So, what kind of tattoo did he get?'_

Yuri paused and averted his gaze before he answered. “…a tiger.”

He could picture the look JJ was giving him even before he glanced back at the screen.

 _'Yuri, tell him,'_ JJ urged for what felt like the hundredth time since the Canadian had found out about Yuri’s feelings for Otabek. _'You’ll regret it if you don’t.'_

Yuri knew JJ was right.  About regretting it, not about Otabek being head over heels for him.  He still wasn’t so sure about that.  But the question was, would he regret it more if Otabek didn’t feel the same way?

“Yura, I’m coming out now,” Otabek’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“O-Okay,” he said and cursed himself for stammering before looking at his phone. “I gotta go.”

 _'Good luck,'_ JJ said, sounding sincere. Then he flashed his signature grin. _'I call best man at your wedding!'_ But Yuri hung up on him, rolling his eyes.

“I like these much better,” Otabek stated as he stepped out from behind the drape.  The pants were a bit shorter and not quite as form-fitting as the first pair, but they did look great on him.  Hell, at this point, Yuri was starting to think anything would look good on the other man.

“Perfect,” he said before he could stop himself. “I mean, they fit perfectly.” He cleared his throat, the heat from his cheeks spreading down his neck. “Uh, I’m going to go grab a few more pairs of those.” He looked anywhere but at Otabek. “Get changed and meet me by the register.”

Otabek nodded and turned around, giving Yuri a chance to escape.  He tore out of the dressing room and back toward the clothing.  After picking up a few more pairs in the same style, he spotted a black t-shirt with a spray-painted tiger on it.  It was pretty cool looking.  He’d just made his way over to the rack when Otabek emerged.

“Ready, Yura?” he asked and then followed the blond’s gaze toward the shirt. “Would you like that?”

“Yeah, but don’t even think about buying it for me.” Yuri reached for one in his size and another a couple sizes bigger. It would be cool if they matched. “And I’m buying all of the other clothes, too, since you spent so much money coming here.”

“Yura-”

“Don’t ‘Yura’ me,” he scolded. “Let me do this, okay?”

Otabek opened his mouth and then shut it, giving a gentle smile. “Okay.”

After switching out the other shirts for ones a size up, they checked out and made their way out of the mall.  It was then that Yuri’s stomach growled.  Sure, he’d eaten his weight in pirozhki at the café, but that was almost seven hours earlier.

“Want to get dinner?” Otabek offered.

Yuri wanted to say ‘no.’  He wanted to go straight to the hotel and maybe order room service, but they passed by a restaurant with an outdoor patio just as a server set down a plate of the most delicious-looking food.

One more stop wouldn’t kill them.

 

Even though the restaurant had large space heaters outside, they opted to eat in the dining room.  They were seated at a small two-top, their bags just fitting beneath it.  On closer inspection, the place looked rather expensive, but Yuri figured he could afford it.  With three Grand Prix Finals under his belt and a handful of sponsorships, his family was no longer struggling financially.

Dinner was nice.  Again, sitting with Otabek, talking easily about this and that, it was comfortable.  If they lived closer, perhaps they could do this all the time.  A wave of sadness washed over Yuri as he realized that, once Otabek was free from his hypnotic state, he’d need to go home.

He almost didn’t want it to end.

But that wasn’t fair.  Otabek was always in control of himself and he was probably going to have a heart attack when he turned back to normal.  Yuri was the impulsive one.  The one who wore his heart on his sleeve and showed his emotions openly for the world to see.  Otabek was more reserved.  Yuri could only imagine how he’d regret everything he’d done.

“It’s getting dark,” Otabek mused.

Had they been talking that long?  The candle in the middle of their table had nearly burnt out.

“Shall we head to the hotel now?” he offered and Yuri nodded.  The whole day he’d been trying to get Otabek locked away in his room – for his protection, of course – but now that it was time to go, he didn’t want to say goodbye.

Then again, he’d be keeping an eye on him, so it wasn’t like he was dropping him off.  They could watch a movie and talk some more.  It would be alright.

“Let’s go,” Yuri said and paid the bill before reaching down for their bags. Otabek was quicker and had his arms loaded up before the blond could object.

They walked together in comfortable silence as the streetlamps started to light.  Yuri sneaked a peek at Otabek’s profile, silhouetted against the soft yellow glow.  He really was handsome.  And he did care for Yuri a lot.  Maybe more than just as a friend.  Maybe JJ was right.

“Yura, is something the matter?” Otabek asked.

“No.” He shook his head. “Just…” he trailed off as he saw the hotel in the distance.  They could have taken another taxi, but it was close enough to walk.  It was a fancy place and Yuri found himself wondering if it was too late for him to cover the bill.

They walked in through the revolving doors and Otabek excused himself for a moment, stating that he needed to use the restroom.  The line was too long to ask him to hold it until after they’d checked in, so, Yuri waited in the lobby next to the bags of clothes and thought about his and Otabek’s relationship.

He wanted Otabek.  For a long time.  And it couldn’t have all just been a coincidence that the other man immediately came to see him the first chance he’d gotten.  So, maybe…maybe Otabek wanted him, too.  He couldn’t keep putting it off.  He had to bite the bullet.  And, when the other man returned from the bathroom, he was going to tell him.

Of course, Otabek sure was taking a long time. 

A _really_ long time.

Panic gripped Yuri’s chest.  No, he hadn’t wandered off again, had he?  He’d been so distracted by his feelings and indecisiveness, that he’d forgotten that Otabek had no impulse control.

Just as he’d scooped up the bags and was about to go searching for him, Otabek returned, smiling brightly. “Shall we check in?”

 

They were on the fifth floor, just across from the elevator.  Otabek slid his key card and the electronic lock released with a click and a hiss.  Yuri felt a little nervous, but he took a deep breath.  He could do this.  He’d just bring it up naturally during their conversation.

‘Dinner was great. Thanks for today. By the way, I love you. Did you want to watch a movie?’

Yes. That would work.

Of course, when it came down to it, Yuri found himself unable to speak.  Otabek was busy emptying the bags of his new clothes and removing the tags.  He’d just finished folding the last shirt when he cleared his throat and sat beside Yuri on the edge of the bed.

“I got you something,” he said and suddenly it clicked why Otabek had taken so long in the bathroom.  The hotel lobby had a bunch of shops.  Yuri should have kept a better eye on the other man.  “Actually,” Otabek went on, cheeks tinting, “I got _us_ something.”

Yuri could only hope that is wasn’t insanely expensive.  Maybe he got them matching hats, though he wasn’t sure where the other man had been keeping them.  But then, a second later, Otabek pulled a small velvet box from his pocket.

“Shit.” Yuri breathed, unsure if he’d spoken it aloud.

“I’ve always admired the rings Mr. Nikiforov and Mr. Katsuki have-”

“Beka…don’t…” He swallowed around the lump in his throat.  This was too much.  Too much, too soon.  He loved Otabek.  Knew he wanted more than what they had, but not like this.  Not because the other man had no control over his impulses.

“They don’t have to mean anything,” Otabek added in a whisper, opening the box and removing one of the rings from where it was nestled inside. “But I’d like for them to.” He took Yuri’s hand in his and slipped the band onto his third finger.  It was a little big.

“Beka…”

“As I thought.” Otabek gave a soft smile, gazing down at their linked hands. “Gold suits you best.” Then he gave a squeeze before releasing him.

Yuri cradled his hand to his chest, not sure how to proceed. He wanted to say something, anything, but the words got caught in his throat.

“And, since we’re still competitors,” Otabek began, taking out the other ring and making to put it on. But Yuri beat him to it, snatching it from his grasp and placing the ring on his finger before stroking over the shiny band with his thumb.

“Gold suits you, too,” he said and nearly melted at the smile he received in return. “Beka,” he began, placing a hand on his shoulder and then flinching back when the other winced. “Oh, your tattoo! I forgot!”

“It’s alright.” Otabek removed his jacket and pulled his shirt over his head, glancing over his shoulder. “No harm done. Though,” he reached for the tape. “I can probably remove this now.” He pulled off the plastic, revealing an unobstructed view of the fierce-looking tiger.

Without thinking, Yuri reached up and brushed the tips of his fingers along the tiger’s back, his heart skipping a beat as Otabek shivered at the touch.

“Why a tiger?” he breathed, continuing to gently caress the other’s skin.

“Because I thought it was cool,” Otabek said, his dark eyes locking with Yuri’s. “And it reminded me of you.”

Yuri didn’t know what came over him.  It was like his body had moved on its own.  All of a sudden, he was kissing the other man hard on the mouth.  He snaked his arms around his neck, one hand gripping at the longer part of Otabek’s hair as he kissed him with everything he had.

A moment later, he pulled back, both of them panting.  Otabek looked shocked, his cheeks pink and his lips shiny.  Yuri immediately made to apologize.  He’d acted without thinking.  “Beka…I’m-” But then Otabek was kissing him, a warm, calloused hand cupping his cheek, while the other combed through his hair.

“Yura…” he breathed against his lips and deepened the kiss.

Yuri didn’t know he was falling backwards until his head hit the soft comforter.  His eyes slipped closed at the feeling, the overwhelming sensation of Otabek kissing him.  The other man’s weight above him and his warm, slightly damp lips caressing his.

Suddenly, a terrible thought gripped the back of his mind with icy claws.  He knew that all of Otabek’s actions were his own, but…but what if, after the hypnosis wore off, he didn’t remember any of this?  What if Yuri was the only one?

Otabek moaned against his lips before trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along his jaw and down his neck. “I want you, Yura…”

Yuri arched his back and decided right then and there that, should that be the case, then he’d _make_ the other man remember. “Beka,” he gasped, all negative thoughts banished from his mind. “Oh!” Otabek bit down gently on his collarbone and Yuri buried his fingers in the other’s hair, tugging lightly.

“Yura…” he practically growled, sending a shiver up Yuri’s spine.

Yes. This was good. So, so good. This was what he wanted. The closeness, the intimacy. His breath hitched before he choked out a quick, “Beka, I love you.”

Just then, Otabek froze. He pulled back, eyes wide. “Yura-”

“I know it seems sudden,” he swallowed. “But, for a long time, I’ve-”

“You have to go.” He stood up, taking his weight and warmth with him.

Yuri stared after him in confusion. Had he confessed too soon? Did the depth of Otabek’s affection not go quite as deep? Had he only kissed Yuri because he’d kissed him first?

He got off the bed and joined Otabek, who was pacing by the hotel room door. “Beka, I-”

“Please leave,” he said, facing away.  Apparently, he couldn’t even look at him.

Yuri frowned, but reached out for him, gently touching Otabek's shoulder. "Beka-"

But Otabek slapped his hand away. Shock and hurt rushed through him as he glanced down at his hand and back up at the other's stunned face.

"Yura, I-"

"Fine!" he snapped, stepping back, his body numb. He couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes. He held back a sob and threw the door open, slamming it shut behind him. Then he ran across the hall to the elevator and pressed the button repeatedly until it arrived. He made it inside, the doors just gliding shut, before he leaned his back against the wall, sliding down until he was crouched on the floor. Then he let the tears fall.

Yuri didn’t look, but if he had, he would see the time was 9:03pm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that there's a three hour time difference. So, 9pm in Saint Petersburg is Midnight in Almaty.  
> Also, for the tattoo script, "Altin" is gold. So, that's why Yuri thought it was Beka's name at first.
> 
> All aboard the angst train~  
> I've been wanting to write that cliffhanger since this story popped into my head.  
> Please stay tuned for the conclusion, coming soon. We'll be back in Otabek's POV. And maybe in Yuri's, too.


	5. Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!! I hope you're all looking forward to the conclusion!  
> Beta'd by the fabulous Niri~♥

Otabek was sure he was dreaming.  It _had_ to be a dream.  Because Yuri Plisetsky, the strongest, most beautiful person he’d ever met, was kissing him.  All too soon, Yuri pulled back, his cheeks pink and lips glistening in the light.  He looked uncertain, his normally fierce blue-green eyes were soft as he gazed down at Otabek’s mouth. “Beka…I’m-”

But Otabek didn’t want him to apologize.  He wanted this.  This was all he’d ever wanted.  He’d loved Yuri longer than he could remember.  It seemed like there wasn’t a time when he _didn’t_ love him.  And now he had him, gasping and whimpering against his mouth.  It was too much.

It was _too much_.

Otabek needed to control himself.  No matter how hard Yuri had kissed him moments ago, he needed to slow the pace.  They had all the time in the world.  This was his dream, after all.  But still, the feel of the other’s body below him as they fell to the bed had him moaning against his lips.

“Yura…” He managed to pull back.  But he didn’t go far.  He couldn’t resist dotting kisses along Yuri’s jaw and down his neck, the skin almost silken beneath his chapped lips.  It felt so real.

“Beka,” Yuri gasped, threading his fingers into his hair and giving a little tug.  His shirt had slipped down, revealing the sharp jut of his collarbone.  Without thinking, Otabek moved his mouth to it, gently biting down on the flesh. “Oh!” Yuri arched his back and brushed their hips together.

Heat pooled in his belly and Otabek practically growled out Yuri’s nickname.  _His_ nickname.  For _his_ Yuri.  Oh, he’d feel ashamed when he woke up, but for now, he could enjoy this little fantasy his mind had put together. “I want you, Yura.”

Yuri’s breath hitched, his nails scratching at Otabek’s scalp, encouraging him.  He moved to kiss lower, tasting the salt of the blond’s skin, but stopped when Yuri choked out four words. “Beka, I love you.”

Wait. Even in his wildest dreams, Yuri had never said that.  And the feel of the other’s skin against his was far too real.

He pulled back, eyes wide.  He wasn’t dreaming.  “Yura-”

“I know it seems sudden,” the blond swallowed. “But for a long time I’ve-”

Sudden?  No, this wasn’t sudden at all.  Otabek had flown to see him, treated him to his favorite things, and then pawed at him like some kind of animal.  Yuri wasn’t thinking straight.  And neither was Otabek, until now.

“You have to go.” He stood up, appalled by his actions. How could he have taken advantage of Yuri like that?  All because of…

The hypnosis.

His mind was instantly flooded with memories of all he’d done over the past twenty-four hours.  No, he couldn’t have.  But there he was, in Saint Petersburg, in a hotel room, with his mouth and hands all over the most important person to him outside of his family.

He paced back and forth by the door, trying to figure out how to fix this.  But first, he needed to be alone.  He needed to distance himself from Yuri.  What if he still wasn’t in control? What if he did something they’d both regret? What if Yuri already regretted it?

“Beka…”

Suddenly the blond was right beside him.

“Please leave,” he begged, unable to look him in the eye.  Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, but he slapped it away without thinking.  He regretted the action immediately. “Yura, I-”

“Fine!” he snapped, the shock on his face replaced by anger as he drew his brows down over watery eyes.  And then he was gone, slamming the door behind him.

Otabek wanted to chase after him, but what right did he have?  It was his fault.  Everything was his fault.

He leaned his back against the wall and slid down to the floor, holding is head in his hands.  What had he done? 

But he knew.

Otabek tilted his head back and stared up at the ceiling.  Then he mentally took inventory.

He was in Saint Petersburg.  Alright, so he needed to book a flight back home.  He was certain he had not pre-paid for his room, so he needed to settle that bill before he left.  It was midnight back in Almaty, so he couldn’t call his coach to explain why he’d be late for practice tomorrow.  If he made it at all.

He scrubbed his face with his hands and paused when he felt something unfamiliar on the third finger of his right hand.  He looked down at the golden ring, the one that matched Yuri’s perfectly.

_‘Gold suits you, too.’_

“What have I done?” he lamented.

But there was no time to feel sorry for himself.  He’d have plenty of time for that once he made all of his arrangements.  The first thing he needed to do was purchase a return flight ticket.  Of course, before that, he should probably check his bank account.  He wasn’t hurting for money in any way, not with his sponsorships and winnings, and he was – under normal circumstances, at least – very frugal. 

Still, when the first flight home turned out to be twice the price of his monthly rent, he opted for another option.  But that particular flight didn’t leave for another two days.  And the trains were booked solid.  So, he went ahead and reserved it.  He could call his coach in the morning and explain what had happened.  Though, he wasn’t sure if he’d believe it.  How could anyone believe that he’d been hypnotized?  Then again, he could always have Serik corroborate with him.

Serik.  

He needed to talk to Serik.  He hadn’t spoken with him since their conversation earlier, when his childhood friend had called him in a panic, wondering just where the hell he was and what had happened to him.

Otabek took out his phone, his heart clenching painfully as he looked at his new lock screen, the picture of the two of them with the tigers at the zoo. Yuri was pulling at his cheeks, forcing Otabek to smile, his own face shining brightly like the sun.

He swiped at the screen, unable to look at it any longer.  He was certain Yuri would never smile like that at him ever again.  Not after all he’d done.

It took a good six rings before Serik finally answered. _‘Beka?’_

“I’ve ruined everything,” he said in a rush, a lump forming in his throat. “I over-stepped and now Yura will never speak to me again.”

 _‘Hold on. Slow down.’_ There was the sound of creaking bed springs in the background. _‘What happened?’_

“He told me he loved me.”

After an amazingly long pause, Serik replied. _‘…Isn’t that good?’_

“Serik, I took him on the world’s most extravagant date, then we went back to my hotel and-”

 _‘Whoa, Beka,’_ Serik gasped and then laughed. _‘You sure move fast.’_

“Serik, _please_.” He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 _‘I’m sorry, you’re obviously upset,’_ his long-time friend apologized. _‘Then what happened?’_

“I bought these matching golden rings and-” Otabek heard a sharp intake of breath from the other end of the line, but continued when Serik didn’t interrupt. “He kissed me and…and I kissed him back.”

 _‘Beka,’_ Serik began carefully. _‘I understand that something is deeply troubling you, but,’_ he took a deep breath. _‘It sounds like the two of you had a wonderful time.’_ When Otabek didn’t answer, he went on. _‘And…isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?’_

“Not like this,” Otabek said, voice barely above a whisper. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was too rushed and Yura…maybe he only said it because he felt obligated.”

 _‘Beka.’_ Serik’s tone was firm. _‘You’re not giving yourself enough credit.’_ He sighed. _‘I get that you were out of control or however you’re demonizing your carefree behavior.’_ Otabek knew he was rolling his eyes at that. _‘But you’re one hell of a catch and, I may not know Yuri personally, but don’t you think there’s even the slightest chance that maybe, just maybe, Yuri actually does love you as much as you love him?’_

Otabek let the words sink in. He hadn’t considered that.  He knew that Yuri cared for him, but he’d always been silently wanting more, afraid to act in fear of losing what they had.

 _‘Where’s Yuri now?’_ Serik asked.

“I…I don’t know.” Otabek frowned. “He ran off after I kicked him out.”

 _‘Kicked him…’_ he repeated and then sighed again. _‘It’s probably best to give him some space,’_ the other said. _‘But, first thing tomorrow, I want you to apologize to him. In person,’_ he added for good measure.

“You’re right.”

 _‘Of course, I’m right.’_ Serik snorted. _‘Now, stop freaking out, get some rest, and call me after you've gotten everything sorted, okay?’_

“Alright.”

 _‘Good.’_ He chuckled. _‘Oh, and send me a picture of that tattoo you were telling me about yesterday-’_ but Otabek had already hung up.  He arms fell to rest between his spread knees and his head gave an audible thud as he let it fall heavily against the wall.

He needed to apologize to Yuri.  He just hoped that the other man would agree to speak with him.

 

 

Yuri did not sleep well that night and he felt every bit of it the next morning as he walked into the rink.  He didn’t want to see anyone, but he needed to get back to practice.  Taking a day off was one thing, but he couldn’t skip the rest of the week.  Besides, skating was his outlet.  And it would be nice to take his mind off of Otabek for a while.

_‘Gold suits you best.’_

He glanced down at his right hand, the golden band glinting in the bright light of the rink.  He pulled his sleeve down.  He should have taken the damn thing off, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.  Otabek had meant every word he’d said the night before.  He knew that because Otabek, even without impulse control, would never lie to him.

 _Then why did he kick you out?_ A voice nagged in the back of his mind.  He shook the thought, but it had been the same one that had kept him from getting any rest.  And during what little sleep he had gotten, he’d been plagued by nightmares of Otabek telling him it was all a mistake, taking the ring back and apologizing for everything.  Like it hadn’t been the best day of Yuri’s life.

Up until the end, anyway.

At one point in the night, he did something he never thought he’d do willingly.  He called JJ.

He'd been feeling sorry for himself, Lilia and Yakov’s knocking and worried voices having finally quieted down, when he received a text from the Canadian skater.

_‘How’d the rest of your date go?’_

Yuri had immediately called the other and spilled his damn heart out.  It was embarrassing to think about now, but part of him had been comforted by JJ’s words.

_‘Of course he loves you, too. He was probably just freaking out.’_

Yeah…Otabek certainly had looked rather panicked.  But still…

“Good morning, Yurio!” Victor greeted him, but he ignored the older man.  He removed his guards and slid out onto the ice, hoping to block out anything and everything until he felt better.  So, for the rest of his life.

“Yurio, are you okay?” This time it was Yuuri. Yuri made the mistake of sparing him a passing glance, catching the other’s worried expression, but he looked away, skating forward until he nearly ran into Mila.

“Whoa, slow down,” she said with a laugh and then she frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong!” he shouted. “Can’t a person just skate on the damn ice without everyone giving him the third degree?!” He panted, closing his eyes and willing himself to relax. When he opened them, he found three concerned pairs staring directly at him.

“Yurio-”

“It sucked, okay?” he snapped, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. “Everything was going great and then I kissed him and ruined everything.”

“Yurio-”

“No,” he spat, chuckling darkly at himself. “No, that’s not right.” He shook his head. “It was when I told him I loved him.”

“Hey, Yuri, calm down.” Mila put a hand on his shoulder and he batted it away. It was then that his sleeve fell down, revealing the golden band on his finger. “What’s this?” She grabbed his wrist, inspecting the ring.

“Oh, Yuuri!” Victor gasped, grabbing his fiancé’s shoulders. “Now Otabek is copying you!”

“Shut up, you geezer!” Yuri growled. “It’s not what it looks like, okay?”

“Yurio.” Now Yuuri was right beside him. “You don’t have to tell us anything, if you don’t want to.” And Yuri laughed at that, since he’d practically blurted it all out already. “But just know that we care about you, okay? And we’re here if you need us.”

“Yeah,” Mila added, wrapping an arm around his neck and mussing his hair with her other hand. “But when you finally feel like spilling about the ring, I’m all ears, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He shoved her off.

“Quit goofing around!” Yakov’s booming voice interrupted their family bonding moment. The other three scattered, moving to work on their respective routines.  Yuri was about to do the same, but his coach waved him over. “Not you, Yuratchka,” he said, voice gruff.

“Is this about me taking the day off yesterday?” Yuri asked, knowing the older man had given him permission, but also being fully aware of how strict Yakov could be. “Because I’m ready to practice twice as hard today.”

But Yakov shook his head. “You can practice later.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the double doors. “You’ve got a visitor.”

Yuri furrowed his brow before realization dawned on him.  It couldn’t be Otabek, could it? No, the other man didn’t want him anywhere near him last night.  Unless…unless he was there to apologize.

 _For his mistake_ , the dark voice finished for him.

“Uh, thanks.” He said and put his guards back on before stepping off of the ice. Dread pooled in his stomach as he stepped closer to the doors.  He stopped just short of them, steeling himself before he took a deep breath and pulled them open.

He spotted Otabek immediately.  He was standing in the middle of the hallway, eyes downcast and face still unfairly handsome even when he looked like the floor was about to swallow him whole.  He cleared his throat and Otabek looked up, dark eyes wide.

“What do _you_ want?” Yuri asked, as coolly as he could manage, though his heart was about to beat out of his chest.

 

 

Otabek knew he needed to apologize.  He knew he needed to explain himself.  He knew he needed to say _something_ , for crying out loud.  But he could only stare at the man in front of him, flashes of the night before playing out in his mind.  Their kiss, and the several that followed, and the way Yuri’s breath hitched when he touched him.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.  Then he straightened his back. “Yura, I’m-”

“Don’t you _dare_ apologize.” Yuri held his hand up and it was then that Otabek saw the golden band on his finger. He was still wearing it. Part of Otabek wanted to jump for joy, while the other felt the heavy weight of his guilt pressing down on him.

Yuri _must_ have felt obligated.

“I’m sorry I forced you to leave the hotel,” he said quickly.

Yuri narrowed his eyes, but bobbed his head once. “That’s fair.” He looked down his nose at him. “But that’s the only apology I’ll accept.”

“Yura-”

“Don’t you dare, Beka,” he growled, face hardening. “If you tell me yesterday was a mistake, I will _never_ forgive you. Understand?”

He opened his mouth and then closed it, his heart racing.

“I know you were under hypnosis,” he went on and Otabek’s eyes widened.

“You…knew?” He blinked. “How?”

“Serik told me.” The blond rubbed the back of his neck. “I also know that everything you said…everything you did,” he paused, glancing up at him. “It was what you _wanted_ to do.”

“Yura…”

“So, don’t apologize to me, Beka.” He let his hand fall to his side. “Not for the surprise visit, or the trip to the zoo.” He bit his lower lip. “And not for the rings or…the kiss.” The last part came out as a whisper and both brought their fingers up to touch their lips without realizing.

Otabek stepped closer, everything in him telling him to wrap his arms around Yuri and hold him tight, but he held back, afraid.

“I really meant it, you know?” Yuri pulled on the bottom of his sweatshirt, gaze on the floor. “When I said I love you.”

“Yura-”

“But if you think all of that was a mistake-” Without a second thought, Otabek pulled him close, pressing their lips together.

 

 

Yuri’s eyes flew open when Otabek kissed him, but he immediately melted into it, his lids fluttering shut.  Oh, they’d just kissed the night before, but he’d already been missing the other’s lips against his.  All too soon, Otabek pulled away.

“I’m sorry, Yura.”

“What the hell did I _just_ say?” He snarled, albeit breathlessly.

“No, I.” Otabek drew back and swallowed. “I didn’t understand anything,” he explained. “I thought you felt like you owed it to me. Because of everything I’d given you. I thought you felt obliga-” but Yuri cut him off with another kiss, successfully silencing him.

“What are you talking about?” He rolled his eyes. “You _know_ me, Beka.” He touched their foreheads together. “Am I the type to give someone something because I feel like I _have_ to?” he asked and the other man shook his head. “Then why, why on Earth would you think I’d say I love you, if I didn’t mean it?”

“I…I guess it’s just unbelievable,” Otabek admitted, cheeks tinting. “I just…never thought for a moment that you'd feel the same.”

Yuri’s heart skipped a beat. “Beka,” he began, teeth worrying at his lower lip. “Does that mean you love me, too?”

“Yuri Plisetsky.” Otabek’s whole face softened. “Do you think I’d drop everything and fly out to Saint Petersburg if I wasn’t madly in love with you?”

“That’s not an answer, Beka.” He folded his arms over his chest and the other man chuckled.

“You’re right.” He stepped closer again, gripping Yuri’s elbows and pressing their chests together. “I love you, Yura.” Then he kissed him.

Yuri heard an eruption of cheers and applause from behind them.  Clearly, the other skaters had taken a break to peek through the double doors.  He ignored them, lifting up one of his hands and giving a crude gesture before cupping Otabek’s jaw and deepening the kiss.

 

 

As it turned out, Otabek was stuck for a couple more days.  That suited Yuri just fine.  The two practiced together in the mornings – Yakov was more than happy to scope out the competition for next season – and spent the rest of the day enjoying the sights.  This time, they went the cheap route and Yuri made sure they split the bill.

Finally, the day Otabek had to return home came and Yuri insisted on going with him to the airport.

“I had a wonderful time,” he said, running his fingers through Yuri’s hair. “You’re a fantastic tour guide.”

“Well, it’s a lot easier when your tourist doesn’t run off the moment he sees something shiny,” he teased him and Otabek’s ears turned bright red.

“Yes, well, thankfully, that’s over. Although,” he rubbed at his clothed shoulder. “It did give me some lasting memories.”

“You’ll have to tell me where you got that done,” Yuri went on as they walked through the sliding glass doors and into the airport. “I want to get one to match.” Otabek’s blush darkened and Yuri laughed. “I will miss the uninhibited Beka, though.”

“Oh?” Otabek quirked a brow. “Should I be jealous?”

“Not at all.” Yuri smiled and kissed him on the tip of his nose. “I like my _boyfriend_ , Beka much more.” It was still new and just saying the words made warmth fill his chest.

“Well, I guess this is it.” Otabek shouldered his bag – one he’d had to buy, of course – and gave Yuri a sad smile. “I’ll try to visit again when I can.”

“Okay,” Yuri replied and continued walking with him toward security.

“Yura.” Otabek knit his brows together. “They won’t let you through without a ticket.”

Yuri grinned in response, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a boarding pass. “Then it’s a good thing I have one.” He chuckled. “I hope there’s room in your apartment for me in Almaty.”

Otabek blinked in surprise, his mouth going slack before he recovered, shaking his head with a fond smile. Yuri returned the sentiment and linked their hands, lacing their fingers together.

Yuri was the _original_ impulsive one in their relationship, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love them. I love them so much. (/)v(\\)  
> I hope you guys enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Let me know what you think and hit me up on tumblr [@jubesy](http://jubesy.tumblr.com)!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think and hit me up on tumblr [@jubesy](http://jubesy.tumblr.com)!


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